The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-05-01
A HAPPY OCCASION.

in a temperature of 100 degrees in the
shade, on the veranda of mis- indian
bungalow.
DO not come too later" he muttered
to himself. By jove. as if it were prob
able that he would dawdle now! 1t was
inst like Mrs. Lennox to send such a
chatting wire as this. He might have
been long time making up his mind.
bat it was made up now, and he meant
to go home and marry her. 1t was her
last letter that had settled the matter
the letter in which she limited that Lord
Shorthorn was awfully mashed" No,
he wasn't going to stand by and see
Dorothy Lennox married to cad like
Shorthorn He had been whole year,
he reminded himself, ia this internal
station, with its furnace heat, its iDsan e
gossip, and its eternal tennis and polo
How he loathed the very sight of his
Majors wife, with hen white eye,lashes,
her malicious giggl and her flirting
manner!
And then he thought of Mrs. LennoK
He remembered the first night he had
met hcr-in the ballroom of great
house ia London and how he had seen
her surrounded by a dozen other fellows,
and how he had ''made the running"
and had cut out all those outsiders.
And he reeollected the call he had paid
n9xt day at her tiny house in Park street,
when she had been so sweet and graceful,
and had talked to him as no woman had
ever talked before. He didn't go in for
brains or any of that rot, but, by Jovel
Dorothy Lennox made him feel another
fellow. He thought of the cool amber
room where she always sat- with its
dropping palms, its masses of azaleas, Its
Raion etchings ami its blue and white
Nankln. 1t was cool and cozy in
Mrs. Lennox's house, and she had way
of taking a fellows hand and looking him
seriously in the eyes which was quite
irresistible He remembered how it had
become almosta habit 10 drop in of an
afternoon, to lounge on her soft divan
and listen to her half-cbaffing talk and
her low delicious laugh And when a
woman is deuced good looking as well as
clever, why, what is a fellow to do?
Perhaps it was wrong to make love in
such serious way as he did, but, hang
It'll she wasn't kitten, and she might
have known he wasn't the marrying sort.
All that was year ago, but he hadn't
forgotten her a bit-worse luck. And
her letters how awfully nice they werel
how like herselfi Not spoony, like those
he wrote to her; but frank, humorous,
and thoroughly bon comrade. Hang it
ALI it was mnch easier to keep heart
wholesin London than in this sultry and
monotonous hole. He had managed to
evade compromising himself definitely
even when had gone to bid Mrs. Lennox
good-by, although he had been periloasly
near proposing to her that last evening
but he had got away, and nothing had
been said which would have tied him
down to an engagement.
Dick, in his rowing life, had committed
every folly except that which he con-
sidered the hugest folly of all-ths felly
of tying yourself to one woman for life.
He remem bered how he had congratulated
himself on all this when he went on board
the Jumna. Was he, the best looking fell
low and keenest sportsman in the Che
Hundred and FIfteth Hussars, to knock
under like any spoony young sub, the
moment lie met pretty woman? But
now things were changed. He had never
bargained somehow, for her marry
ing again; he had got to look upon her
more or less as his own When she had
Shorthorn in it, his blood had fairly boiled
He didn't regret bit the letter he had
written in reply, telling her he was leay-
ing India the very day he could get leave
and asking her TO be his wife. After all,
why shouldn't he marry? He was over
30 and he had had, as he remembered
with smile, his fling" The other fell
lows in his regiment used TO chaff Inn
and call him casual and said that he
never did to-day what he could put off till
10 morrow But that was all nonsense.
He could make APP his mind like other
men even to matrimony, And here was
her answer to his letter ''Do not come
too late" Well. he had got his leave and
would be with her ia three weeks.
Ii wasa bright morning in June when
Capt Irton arrived at Charing Gross
Station, thoroughly tagged and wearied
with his long journey He had come as
p. 81 o. steamers and mailtrains can
bring man from Bombay to the Strand.
But in a couptcNof hours he hoped to
have lid himself of all signs of travel. to
got inside decent coat, and 10 be.In the
shady drawing room in Parksstreet, with
Dorothy LennoXS soft arms round his
neck. He felt very sleepy and somewhat
aggrieyed, for he had nursed the I'M
reasoning hope of seeing her at the station,
although she could not possibly know
exactly when he would arrive lie had
started by the very next mail from Bonn
bay, so that writing would nave been
useless. He felt, indeed, that be had
answered her telegram in very practical
fashion. How over-joyed she would be
to have him back He hoped it would
not be too much for her-seeiag him
suddenly again like this So, thro wing
himself ON the bed in his room at the
Grand Hotel, he fell asleep.
When Dick awoke 1t was..3 O'clock in
the afternoon. Tubing and unpacking
took an hour, and then he had to 90 out
and buy tall hat. After this he directed
the cabman to the house ia Park street
The shady Mayfair street looked bright
and pleasant as his hanson ratified along,